Crime

Prolific child rapist from Pembrokeshire jailed for life

Published

4 years ago

January 4, 2023

A PEMBROKESHIRE man who raped and sexually assaulted young children, and posted images of the abuse to other paedophiles on the dark web, has been jailed for life.

Martyn Armstrong was identified after specialist National Crime Agency investigators reversed distortion filters he used to disguise his face in the images. The abuse began 17 years ago in June 2005 and continued to February 2011.

The 50-year-old was stopped and arrested by South Wales Police officers while driving on the M4 on 30 July 2022, following a request by the NCA.

Law enforcement partners across the world had been trying to identify the man in the abuse material ever since it was posted in 2010.

The images were referred to the NCA by Australian Federal Police in 2013, after they established they had been posted on dark web site, The Love Zone.

Some of the images showed the rape and sexual abuse of a toddler but, at that time, the perpetrator could not be identified because the images had been distorted.

In 2017 Italian investigators linked the name “Martyn” to the person who took the images, but they were unable to progress the case further.

In the same year a French investigator adopted the case and worked on identifying a beach which had been seen in some images linked to the offender.

After conducting significant research on the geology of the landscape, he established that rocks on the beach in the photo must either be in Ireland or Wales. He compared them to images of over 60 beaches before striking an exact match on the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales.

The case remained unsolved until 2022, when NCA investigators created a new programme which finally disabled the image distortion technique. This revealed the face of the offender but his identity, and that of his victim, was still unknown.

The NCA team worked on the name “Martyn” and established that a Martyn Armstrong had links to the beach, by matching an image from his social media profile with the abuse images.

It was discovered that at the time of the abuse, Armstrong lived in Derbyshire but he had sold his house in January 2022 and moved close to the same Welsh beach identified by investigators.

Officers compared and matched pictures from the estate agency listing for the Derbyshire house to some of the original abuse images taken in 2009.

Following his arrest, NCA investigators found a number of devices in Armstrong’s home, including one of the two cameras he used in 2010. This was forensically matched to the camera which took the images.

The original indecent images of children (IIOC) he’d posted were also recovered from a laptop.

Investigators also discovered material showing Armstrong abusing two previously unknown child victims saved on his devices. All three victims were spoken to and safeguarded.

Armstrong was charged with 20 counts of rape on a child under 13, one count of assault by penetration, three counts of sexual assault, five counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and one count of making and one count of distributing 204 category A (the most serious) IIOC.

He pleaded guilty to these offences at Cardiff Crown Court on 21 September 2022.

He then pleaded guilty to further charges on 10 November, including being in possession of 4,105 IIOC (in categories A-C), two counts of assault by penetration, one count of sexual assault, one count of making and one count of distributing IIOC in relation to the second victim and one count of making and one count of distributing IIOC relation to the third victim.

At the same court today (4 January), he was sentenced to life in prison with no minimum term.

NCA Operations Manager Martin Ludlow said: “It is over 17 years since Armstrong began to abuse these young children. I don’t believe he thought he would ever be caught and that the distortion techniques he used would protect him.

“However, the NCA and our international partners were determined to ensure his evil actions did not go unpunished.

“Our commitment to identifying him was unwavering and ultimately, NCA officers developed a completely new programme which led to his unmasking. Investigators did a remarkable job in piecing together limited information to finally reveal that Armstrong was the person in these images.

“We will continue to work together and do all we can to bring offenders like Armstrong to justice and protect innocent children from child sexual abuse.”

Lucy Dowdall of the CPS said: “The abuse that Armstrong subjected his victims to was horrific.

“Despite the passage of time and the steps he had taken to hide his identity, the CPS built a robust case against him resulting in guilty pleas.

“The investigation conducted by the NCA officers was exceptional, and we thank them for their diligent work.

“The CPS are committed to bringing those who sexually abuse children to justice, whenever our legal test is passed, and we will continue to work with our partners in the police to do so.”

BOX OFF

Charge sheet

For victim one (between December 2009 and February 2011):
20 x of rape of a child under 13
One x assault by penetration
Three x sexual assault
Five x causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity
One x making indecent images of children (204 category A images)
One x distributing indecent images of children (204 category A images)

For victim two (between January 2005 and January 2007):
Two x assault by penetration
One x sexual assault
One x making indecent image of a child
One x distributing an indecent image of a child

For victim three (in August 2010):
One x making an indecent image of a child
One x distributing an indecent image of a child

General possession of IIOC (between January 2005 and July 2022):
One x category A (789 images)
One x category B (989 images)
One x category C (2,327 images)

Crime

Counter-terrorism officers take charge of Ann Widdecombe death investigation

Published

6 hours ago

July 13, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Man, 28, re-arrested under terrorism legislation after new evidence emerges in former minister’s suspected murder

COUNTER-TERRORISM officers have taken control of the investigation into the death of former government minister Ann Widdecombe following the discovery of new information and evidence.

A 28-year-old man from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who was initially arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday, has now been re-arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Police stressed that investigators are continuing to examine several possible lines of enquiry and have not publicly established a motive.

Miss Widdecombe, aged 78, was found dead at her home in Haytor, Devon, after emergency services were called shortly before midday on Thursday, July 9.

Officers said she had suffered serious injuries, prompting the launch of a murder investigation and a major police operation stretching from Devon to South Yorkshire.

The suspect was arrested at an address in Rotherham shortly after 9.00pm on Saturday, July 11. Specialist counter-terrorism officers had already been working alongside Devon and Cornwall Police before formally taking the lead in the case.

Counter Terrorism Policing South East said the change followed developments during what it described as a complex and rapidly moving investigation.

Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, said officers were working urgently to determine what motivated the attack.

He said specialist resources from across the counter-terrorism network were now being deployed and appealed for anyone with relevant information to contact police.

The development represents a significant change from the position outlined by Devon and Cornwall Police over the weekend, when officers said there was nothing at that stage to suggest the death was connected to terrorism or politically motivated.

Police had also urged politicians and members of the public not to speculate while detectives continued their work.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood updated MPs in the House of Commons on Monday, confirming that counter-terrorism officers were now leading the investigation.

She said the suspect was not previously known to Prevent, the Government programme intended to identify and support people considered vulnerable to radicalisation.

The Home Secretary described Miss Widdecombe as a forthright and fearless figure and said her death had raised wider questions about the security of politicians and others involved in public life.

She said guidance would be issued to MPs and confirmed that former Lord Chancellor Sir Robert Buckland had been asked to examine lessons arising from the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess in 2021.

The Government has also offered Reform UK leader Nigel Farage a meeting with officials responsible for assessing protection for prominent public figures.

Police believe Miss Widdecombe was attacked at around 12.30pm on Wednesday, July 8. Her body was discovered the following morning after concerns were raised about her welfare.

A separate 26-year-old man arrested during the early stages of the investigation was later released and is no longer connected with the enquiry.

Miss Widdecombe served as Conservative MP for Maidstone and later Maidstone and The Weald between 1987 and 2010.

She held several ministerial positions during Sir John Major’s government, including roles at the Home Office, and later became shadow home secretary.

After leaving Westminster, she became widely known for television appearances including Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.

She returned to frontline politics in 2019 when she joined the Brexit Party and was elected as a member of the European Parliament for South West England. She later became a prominent Reform UK spokeswoman.

Political leaders from across the parties have paid tribute to Miss Widdecombe, while around 40 people attended a vigil near her Dartmoor home on Sunday.

Police continue to appeal for information and have warned that the fact counter-terrorism officers are leading the investigation does not establish any particular ideology, political connection or motive.

No charge has been brought and the investigation remains ongoing.

Crime

Arrest warrant issued for drink-driver found guilty at trial

Published

7 hours ago

July 13, 2026

Court Reporter

Ruan Austin was convicted of driving an Audi with nearly three times the legal alcohol limit in his breath

A WARRANT has been issued for the arrest of a Ceredigion man who was found guilty of drink-driving after failing to attend court.

Ruan Austin, aged 49, of Tanlan, Silian, had denied driving an Audi while over the prescribed alcohol limit.

The offence took place on Holyland Road, Pembroke, on May 9.

A breath test showed Austin had 100 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Austin pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing on May 26, but was found guilty following a trial at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday, July 13.

The court issued a warrant for his arrest without bail after he failed to appear in answer to his bail.

Crime

Cardigan man resentenced after curfew breaches

Published

7 hours ago

July 13, 2026

Court Reporter

Community order revoked following failures to comply on two consecutive nights

A CARDIGAN man has been resentenced after admitting breaches of a court-imposed curfew.

Daniel Saunders, aged 28, of Golwg y Castell, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday, July 13.

The court heard that Saunders had failed to comply with a community order imposed by Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire Magistrates’ Court on November 19, 2025.

He breached the curfew requirement on December 12 and again on December 13, and failed to provide acceptable evidence explaining the breaches within the required period.

Magistrates revoked the original community order and resentenced Saunders under a separate case reference.

A warrant previously issued by Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court in February was withdrawn following his appearance.

The register provided to the media does not state the terms of the new sentence.